Directions

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the pitted cherries in the butter until they are tender, sprinkling them with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in 1/2 cup olive oil, eggs, and yogurt; use your fingers to lightly stir the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture to make a soft dough. Scrape the batter into a 9x12-inch baking dish. Drizzle the batter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and top with the cherries.

Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is set and golden on top, about 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jul 21, 2011

I really screwed this one up the first time through :) Always good to remember to add the sugar! But I also cooked the cherries per the directions and ended up accidentally caramelizing them.
So, the second time I made it, it came out pretty well. I used about 2.5 cups of cherries the second time, and simmered them on medium low heat (3.5 on my electric) with 1.5 T of butter and a little extra sugar - rounded tablespoon. This produced a lot more juice.
I think if I make it again though, I'd use even more cherries because where it has juice and cherries, it's the tastiest. Also, I pulled it out at 35 minutes instead of the 40 recommended. I think it may have been done before that though - I'll experiment with times for the next time I make it.
I'd also probably try adding vanilla and a little dash of salt to bring out more flavor in the cake itself.
The cake is not terribly moist, but it's flavorful. It's not overly sweet, and tastes great with ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. I think it would also be great with whipped cream or a powdered sugar glaze.
I think it'd be good with blueberries too - I may try that next time.
Update: Made this a 2nd time and added almond extract, used different cherries and added a streusel. Wow! Delicious - moist and flavorful.

Most Helpful Critical Review

The only change I made was to use sour cream for the yogurt. This definitely is a more dry cake and I like mine a little more moist, so I may experiment and add more sour cream/yogurt next time. Mine was also done at just about 30 minutes, so definitely check it when you smell it baking! Thanks for sharing!

This really was very tasty. We ate it for dessert last night and breakfast this morning. I had a bunch of sweet cherries from a friend's tree and needed to use them up. My changes after reading other's reviews: I used a full cup of plain greek yogurt, added a tsp almond extract to the batter and increased the cherries to 2 1/2 cups. The only thing I plan on doing differently next time is use even more cherries. I think this needs at least 3 cups of pitted cherries. Excellent recipe!

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.